Vesuvius
by lemonygoodness1998
Summary: Draco Malfoy does not like his newest professor. She's snarky and angry, cynical and Muggleborn, stubborn and impossible to work with, and she's keeping secrets and, to top it all off, she's younger than him! She's also intelligent, kind, clever, funny, and uncommonly pretty. Draco definitely does not like his newest professor.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Draco's POV

"But, Drakey, don't leave us," whined Pansy as she clung to my robes. I rolled my eyes where she wouldn't see and turned back to her.

"I've got to, Pansy," I told her. "There's no room for all four of us anywhere. You just stay with Crabbe and Goyle and I'll fend for myself." She whimpered but let go of my robes. I turned and left to go to the next car.

The Hogwarts Express was ridiculously crowded that year. It was pure luck that we had found those three seats with another group of Slytherins, but it would have taken a miracle to find four.

I wove through the lines of students who crowded the corridor, constantly on the lookout for an empty seat. Then, finally, the crowds seemed to dwindle and I was left at the back of the train. There, to my surprise, was an entirely empty compartment. I unceremoniously swung open the door, closed it, locked it, and sat in the corner by the door. It was only then that I noticed that there was someone else in the compartment.

Sitting across from me, in the corner by the window, was a girl in black muggle clothes. Her head rested on her elbow as she gazed out the window at the passing English countryside, ears plugged with little stoppers connected with a wire. She didn't even acknowledge my existence, much less my entrance.

"Sod off," I growled. She merely raised an eyebrow at me and put her head back in the crook of her elbow. "I _said_ to sod off." She took a bud from her ear and stared at me.

"This isn't a reserved compartment. I'm staying here," she told me with a steely glare.

"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" I sneered. "I'm a Malfoy." Maybe that would scare her off.

Quite the opposite actually happened. She merely glared at me and adjusted the buds in her ears.

"Does the name 'Malfoy' not mean anything to you?"

"It means that you depend on your name to get what you want instead of your abilities."

"That's it," I growled and stood, striding over to her and lifting her by the collar of her shirt. "Get out of this compartment."

"Resorting to violence? I'm sure someone of your high status was taught to use their words." I flung her to the door.

"Get out."

"No." She walked back to her seat and sat down, readjusting one of the plugs in her ears. This was going to be even more difficult than I had thought. I smirked.

"_Mudblood,_" I sneered.

That was when she lost it.

She ripped the buds from her ears and stormed over to me, caging me in her arms.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked menacingly. Her brown eyes seemed to radiate fire. I gulped. She wasn't joking around.

"You're the mudblood. I think _you're _the one with the problem." I almost gagged when I realized my father would have been proud.

She grabbed me by the throat, seemingly collected aside from her fiery eyes. I legitimately feared for my life.

"Don't fuck around with me," she warned before letting me go and plopping back down in her seat.

We didn't say a word to each other for the duration of the trip, but I used the time to assess my opponent.

She had dark brown eyes and brown hair spun up into a clip on the back of her head, tan skin, baggy black clothing, and a backpack which sat at her feet. Her eyes stared unseeingly out the window of the train, giving me a clear view of a pink scar that ran across her left jawbone. She didn't look like the fighting sort; but from what I knew of her after the little stunt she pulled, I knew that scar must have been from something violent.

And although my assigned task that year was that of repairing the vanishing cabinet, I was still determined to find out how she had gotten it.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Kee's POV

I really did want to strangle him.

He sat broodingly in that corner, sneaking glances at me every so often, thinking he was so surreptitious and smooth. Smug bastard. I had just wanted to be left in peace.

When we finally arrived at the station I eagerly got off the train and wove through the crowd of students to the back of the group. That was when I saw someone standing by a tree as if waiting for me. Green robes, crooked hat, small smile – it could only by McGonagall.

"Good evening, professor," I greeted him.

"Good evening, Miss Vesuvius," she said, still smiling as if actually happy to see me. "Let us go."

She led me to a private carriage pulled by thestrals. We boarded the top and headed, alone, toward the back entrance to the castle.

"I trust you found the Hogwarts Express accommodating," she said.

"I found the facilities to be quite nice, professor," I answered. "Though I could have had better company." She laughed.

"And who, pray tell, did you sit with?"

"I'm not sure of his first name, but I'm almost sure his last name was Malfoy."

"Draco," she said and nodded. "I can see where his company might not be enjoyable."

"Our exchange eventually devolved into violence, actually." Her eyes widened a miniscule amount.

"I trust you took care of it, Miss Vesuvius," she said calmly.

"I haven't started deducting house points just yet," I answered. "I'm waiting to see him squirm when he steps into my classroom."

"That," she laughed, "is an excellent idea."

"I do have to admit, I feel a bit of empathy for the guy." She quirked a brow.

"And why is that? Did he not violently attack you?"

"We both just wanted to be left alone."

Draco's POV

During the welcoming feast I couldn't quite take my mind off the girl in the compartment.

I was certain I had never seen her before. She looked older than a first year, but Hogwarts was not known for its abundance of transfer students. There was no way she could be a student there.

My thoughts were interrupted by an elbow in my side.

"Oi, mate," Crabbe said. "You alright?" I nodded tersely.

"Just thinking," I said. I took another bite of a chicken leg before realizing I wasn't hungry and chucking it back on the plate. "I just want to go to bed. It's been a taxing day for me."

"What's happened to you?"

"Nothing," I sighed. "I just don't like crowds. They annoy me. Like this fucking school."

"I get that, but you seem even more messed up than usual." I fiddled with the cuff of my left sleeve, almost as if I wished someone would notice and throw me in Azkaban before the vanishing cabinet was repaired.

"Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?" He just shrugged and returned to spooning too much gravy over his mashed potatoes. God, he was a fatass.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I shoved off from the table and made my way out of the hall, not quite able to block out bits of conversations.

"-Slytherin Prince."

"-heard he's going to Durmstrang-"

"-asshole, but he's handsome-"

People turned and looked as I strode from the hall, but I could hardly care less. All I wanted to do was get to the dormitory and be alone.

"Mr. Malfoy!" a shrill voice said from the doorway. I looked up to see Professor McGonagall staring sternly in my direction, lips pressed into a thin line.

"Yes, Professor?" I tried not to sneer.

"What are you doing leaving the feast so early?"

"I'm not hungry, Professor. I also have a headache," I answered her. She was about to reply when another voice sounded from behind her.

"Just let him go, Professor," the girl from the Hogwarts Express said gently.

"Why, Miss Vesuvius? Was this not the boy who assaulted you?" McGonagall asked, obviously surprised.

"He's about to have an anxiety attack."

"What, pray tell, is an anxiety attack, Miss Vesuvius?"

"It's a Muggle term, but it means getting overwhelmed by your surroundings, racing thoughts, shaky hands and sweaty palms, rapid breathing, and just overall extreme anxiety." The girl looked at McGonagall almost pleadingly.

"Oh, alright," McGonagall said. "Get going."

"Thank you, Professor," I said and tried to exit the Great Hall.

"And Miss Vesuvius?" the Professor addressed the girl distrustfully. I wasn't sure if her voice showed distrust of the girl or of me. "Would you mind seeing Mr. Malfoy to his dormitory?"

"I would not mind at all, Professor."

As soon as we rounded the corner I spoke.

"Why did you help me back there? I attacked you."

"You looked like you needed some sleep," she said. She didn't look at me.

"But why do you care? I attacked you, remember?"

"I remember."

"Then," I pressed, "Why did you help me?" She stopped to look at me,

"What happened back in the train was just both of us needing some time alone. I don't blame you for acting the way you did," she said. "And now's no different. I have no right to deny you time alone when I know what it feels like to need it."

She continued down the hallway, leaving me behind, before swiveling back around with a light blush on her cheeks.

"Which way is the Slytherin common room?" she asked sheepishly. I laughed and showed her the way.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Draco's POV

She was nice. She was tough. She was above most of the pettiness of teenage drama. I liked that. I liked _her_. But I didn't like her enough not to ridicule her with my friends.

As Crabbe, Goyle, and I passed her in the hallway – she still wore her Muggle clothes from the train - on the way to class the next day, Goyle stuck out his foot and tripped her. She fell flat on her face against the cobblestoned floor. I laughed; she glared. Picking herself up off the ground she slowly turned on us.

"Would you care to explain that?" she asked all too calmly. I stepped up to speak on Goyle's behalf.

"Well, seeing as you're new here, we thought we'd introduce you to the floor," I said. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"I thank you for your hospitality but I'm sure there were other methods of introduction that didn't involve tripping an innocent passerby."

"Perhaps there were, but this was the most immediate and efficient method." Crabbe and Goyle were snickering behind me as a crowd gathered to witness a Malfoy and a Mudblood square off.

"I suppose you think you're clever, Malfoy," she said. A smirk crossed my face.

"Quite." A smug smile made its way to her mouth and turned up one side of her lips.

"Well I'm sad to inform you that you're only a sad schoolyard bully using big words to mask your lack of creativity."

My smirk dropped and left hand clenched to a fist.

"And I suppose you think _you're_ clever, Vesuvius," I spat, stepping closer so as to intimidate her with my sheer size. She remained unmoved.

"To a certain degree, yes," she replied, that stupid smug smile still tugging at her mouth.

"Well I'm sad to inform you that-"

The words wouldn't come out. That was probably because I had no words to begin with.

She let out a little sardonic chuckle.

"No words, Malfoy?" she laughed lightly. "I'm sure someone of your high blood status has _something_ to say."

"What I have to say is not to fuck around with me because I will _end_ you," I gritted through my teeth, pointing at the middle of her chest. She was totally unfazed.

"Are you so sure about that? Because I distinctly remember our little altercation in the train ending in a victory on my part."

The crowd collectively inhaled. I was seething.

"You are not to talk of that," I commanded lowly.

"We'll see about that," she said.

She walked away without looking back, leaving the entire crowd, including me, looking slack-jawed after her. This was going to be an interesting year.

That morning I had slipped out of bed and sauntered into the common room to find a stack of flat parchment schedules sitting on a table. Summoning my own with a quiet "_accio_," I scanned what would be my daily routine for the rest of the year. Ancient Runes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Potions, all the usual classes… until I got to the end of the day. There, at the end of Monday's schedule – and every day's schedule, for that matter – was a new class: Wandless Magic.

The afternoon I tripped Vesuvius I had been on my way to the mystery class. I hadn't known that the school had empty classrooms, but the Hogwarts castle held yet another secret. I and my classmates were soon presented with an entirely new wing of the castle comprised of nothing but unoccupied classrooms. Unoccupied except for one.

The classroom itself was quite large, though it had virtually nothing in it. It contained only about thirty two-seater desks, a teacher's desk, a bookshelf with several large baskets stowed in it, and several end tables stacked in pairs along the back wall. The rest of the room was empty space, presumably for the purpose of practicing wandless magic.

Crabbe, Goyle, and I sauntered easily into the classroom, almost late, as usual, and took our seats in the back left corner of the room. Nearly as soon as our asses had hit the chairs the door opened once more, the swinging plank of wood revealing Dumbledore and Vesuvius. They walked into the classroom, Vesuvius still in her in Muggle clothing, and stood facing the class in front of the professor's desk.

"_What the bloody hell is this?_" Goyle grumbled under his breath.

"I am glad you asked, Mr. Goyle," Dumbledore said, a twinkling hardness in his eye. Damn his impeccable sense of hearing.

Dumbledore turned from Goyle and addressed the whole class.

"As you all are aware, this is a new class added to the Hogwarts curriculum. It is a daily course required of each sixth year, so there will be no transferring out of it," he said. "But I am not here to inform you of the details of your curriculum. Instead, I am here to introduce to you your new professor." At this he placed a hand on Vesuvius' shoulder and smiled down at her.

_Absolutely not._

"This is Miss Vesuvius, and she will be your Wandless Magic professor for the rest of the year," continued Dumbledore. "I am sure that you will all conduct yourselves as you would in a normal classroom setting." He looked at each student as if in warning, then left Vesuvius standing at the front of the room. Peeking his head through the gap between the nearly closed double doors, he spoke in a slightly singsong voice: "good luck."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Draco's POV

Vesuvius stood somewhat awkwardly at the front of the room, fidgeting restlessly and sighing deeply. She finally looked up and began to speak.

"I know this is going to be awkward at first, with me being so young, but-"

"Why are you even here?" Crabbe asked abrasively. All eyes turned to our corner of the classroom, including the indifferent ones of Vesuvius.

"Well, Mr. Crabbe, as I'm sure you heard from Professor Dumbledore," she gave Crabbe a pointed look, as if she knew he had been dozing off and was mocking him for it, "I am here to be your Wandless Magic professor. Now I would appreciate it if-"

"No, I mean, why are _you_ here? There've got to be loads of people better than you Hogwarts could've hired."

Her expression didn't change.

"We have all used wandless magic at some point in our lives," she said. "I'm sure that months before you got your Hogwarts letters you experienced little indicators that you did indeed have magic in your blood. A broken plate, a fire popping up on your couch, something like that. Therefore, knowing this, wandless magic can be practiced by anyone, and mastery of the craft is not necessarily dependent upon age."

That shut him up, but it wasn't enough to satisfy me.

"Are there any more questions about my personal life that we'd like to get out of the way?" I raised my hand, a snide grin on my face. She pressed her lips into a thing line and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. I was determined to humiliate her if it was the last thing I did.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I was just wondering – "

The words stopped.

Every fucking time I looked at her I felt the words leave my brain, leaving me in a pile of mush. It was that impassive look on her face. That's what did it - that's what turned me to absolute rubbish. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

Intimidated. By a girl half my size.

She smirked.

"And we're back to square one, Mr. Malfoy, which brings me to my first order of business." She looked at me with evil laughter glinting in her eyes. "Thirty points from Slytherin."

Crabbe jumped up and slammed his hands on the desk.

"That's not fair! We haven't done anything!" he shouted.

"I wouldn't say you've done _nothing_, Mr. Crabbe," she retorted, leaning back against her desk. "_You_ personally only earned yourself five points deducted. But Mr. Malfoy has earned twenty-five. And I'm being stingy with the reductions, believe me. Normally assaulting a teacher would earn you an expulsion."

All eyes turned to me when she said "assault." I suddenly felt sick.

It was all sinking in. The train, earlier in the hall – I had assaulted a faculty member. _Repeatedly_.

I clutched the desk like it was my lifeline.

"Still no words, Mr. Malfoy?" she quipped, then turned away to begin class.

Kee's POV

"So," I said, "I just wanted to go over some class policies with you today." A chorus of groans was my response. "I know, I know, I'm not particularly excited about it either. But this won't take long. Then I'll start on some introductory material."

A bushy-haired girl raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss…"

"Granger," she finished. "Would it be advisable to take notes on this?"

"_Of course_," Malfoy muttered. I gave him a pointed look, then turned back to Miss Granger.

"Just pay attention," I said. "What I will be testing you on this year won't be information you can take notes on. I'll only be giving skills assessments."

"Thank you, Miss Vesuvius."

"You're welcome, Miss Granger." She smiled genially at me, then nearly snarled at Malfoy when he mocked her "_thank you, Miss Vesuvius_."

I gave him another pointed glare.

"And with that I will address my next topic," I said. "Disciplinary action." The class exhaled in a collective sigh. "I will only be deducting house points for extreme offenses, as I don't really care about the house cup. At all. I feel that most disrespectful behavior can be rectified with a healthy dose of embarrassment. So, if any of you even think of doing something out of line, I will not hesitate to make you sing in front of the class."

"_You have to be kidding me_," Malfoy muttered.

"Would you care to be the first to come to the front, Mr. Malfoy?"

He begrudgingly shut his mouth and leaned back in his seat.

The rest of the class went fairly smoothly, me explaining the simple theory of wandless magic in a matter of minutes and asking the class to share their experiences with the subject before I dismissed the class. Malfoy didn't utter another word for the rest of the class, but I still asked him to stay after to ask him a few questions.

"What do you want, you twit?" he snapped, then took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I mean _professor_."

"Nice save," I commented, leaning back against my desk. "I just wanted to ask why you tripped me earlier today." He looked exceedingly uncomfortable, opening and closing his mouth in an effort to find something to say. I shook my head. "Just forget that I'm a professor for a minute. I won't get mad."

"Okay, then I think you're a filthy Mudblood who needs to be shown her place," he said. He may not have been conscious of it, but he almost imperceptibly flinched at his own words. He didn't believe a word he said.

"Alright then, Mr. Malfoy," I said a bit too harshly. "The teacher-student relationship is reinstated and you may go."

"Thank you, Miss Vesuvius," he sneered, strutting out in an effort to regain his confidence. I nearly laughed at him, but bit back my chuckles as I sat behind my desk.

This was going to be an interesting year with him around.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Draco's POV

"And this quarter's project is to research any dark magical creature of your choice," came the droning nasal voice of Professor Snape. With that he dismissed the class and sent us on our way. Except for me.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said, catching my attention, "I need you to stay after class for a few moments."

"Yes, professor."

When we were alone he placed his hands behind his back and began to speak.

"It's been two weeks since you arrived at Hogwarts," he said. "How much progress have you made with the vanishing cabinet?"

"Next to nothing," I sighed. "It's extremely difficult."

"I know," he said in his imperious voice. "But it must be done."

"I understand, professor," I responded. "I will research more on vanishing cabinets while I work on your project."

"Good. Now get going. You need not miss your next class."

"Yes, sir."

I turned and left the room.

The next classes – Arithmancy and Potions – went fairly quickly, though Potter, as I had come to expect, was favored by Slughorn to no end. When it came to the lunch and break periods, I quietly snuck out of the Great Hall and into the library.

The library, contrary to what people might have believed about me, was an incredibly calming place for me. Being surrounded by the knowledge of others, the smell of parchment, reassured me that I didn't need to know everything. Walking into the great room, I strode to the back of the room and found an empty table secluded by a large bookshelf filled with richly-spined tomes. I placed my books at a spot and went to Madame Pince.

"Excuse me," I said as politely as possible. The pointy-hatted librarian looked up from her book and gave a semblance of a sneer. "I was wondering where to find books on dark creatures."

"I suppose this is for Professor Snape's project?" she said distastefully.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, one hand balling into a fist behind my back. Her frown deepened.

"You'll have to go to the very back, near the restricted section, or into the restricted section itself, depending on which creature you wish to research," she answered me after tapping her finger against her chin for a solid minute.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said and turned from the help desk. Returning to my place in the back of the library, I shucked off my robe and hung it on the back of my chair before making my way to the section described by Madame Pince.

The section was, like all other parts of the library, stocked with heavy oak bookshelves, stuffed to the point of burgeoning with thick-covered books. I drew my wand and muttered a quick "_accio_," summoning an encyclopedia of dark creatures and catching it in my right hand. I took it back to my table, shooing away a couple of first years who had invaded the space, and sat down at my spot, finally cracking open _Barnaby's Definitive Encyclopaedia of Dark Magical Creatures_ and browsing through the lists.

I had made it to the B's when I heard them come in.

"Harry, Ron, we just need to-" Granger's bossy voice whispered from several bookcases away.

"Come on, 'Mione," Weasley whined. "Can't we just have fun for once instead of working? We're always working."

"You mean _I'm_ always working," she corrected him lowly. "I don't think you've written your own essay since our second year, and I'm determined to make you write your own this year."

At least she knew how to stand up to her friends. Me, on the other hand…

"We've got more important things to work on," Potter said lowly. "Like Malfoy."

_Oh?_

"He's not a Death Eater!" Granger hissed. "He's too much of a coward."

_Oh._

"He's more of a bully than anything," said Weasley. "I don't think he's capable of much more than petty assaults."

"He's assaulted a teacher!" Potter was on the verge of shouting by this point. "I think that's malicious enough."

"He didn't know she was a professor. She looks young enough to be a third year."

"Just… just trust me on this one. Please?" begged Potter. I heard two deep sighs from a bookcase away.

"We'll look into it," Granger capitulated. I could almost hear Weasley nodding his fat head.

"Thanks, guys," Potter said.

"But we still need to do our DADA essays," Granger told the two gits. Two groans came from their direction, as well as three sets of footsteps. When they came around the corner they came face to face with me. I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"You think you know everything, _Potter_," I spat, getting out of my seat and approaching him. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're a git, Malfoy!" Potter exclaimed. Madame Pince's disapproving "hush" resonated throughout the entire room. "You're a git!" he hissed, much more quietly this time.

"At least I'm not the one resorting to petty name-calling," I sneered.

"Shut up, you prig," growled the Weasly.

"Boys," Granger interjected harshly. "You're just giving him what he wants. Let's get our books and go."

"What exactly do you think I want, you filthy Mudblood?" I spat.

"From what I've heard you want a detention, Mr. Malfoy," a familiar voice broke over our hushed shouts. Vesuvius stood leaning against a bookshelf, smirking at me.

"Good afternoon, Miss Vesuvius," Granger said gratefully.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. Now, Mr. Malfoy, if I catch you calling anyone that name again I will make your life a living hell, starting with making you sing in front of my class," she said matter-of-factly. I swallowed.

"You're what? Eighteen? Nineteen years old? What makes you think you have one inkling of authority over me?" I asked, approaching her predatorily. She only smirked.

"Aside from Dumbledore's clear instructions that you are to obey me?"

"Aside from that batshit crazy git's instructions!"

She only said two words.

"The train."

I was instantly transported back to the train, with her hand around my neck and her eyes flashing with something that promised violence. I growled.

"Fine."

I grabbed the encyclopedia and checked it out at the help desk, then strode out of the library with a noticeable strut to hide my wounded pride.


End file.
